80% of South Africans may have had Covid 19 Discovery says

As many as 80% of South Africans may have contracted COVID 19, according to Discovery’s chief actuary, Emile Stipp. His estimates are based on the country’s case fatality rate and excess deaths, which provide a more accurate impact of the pandemic than the official toll. Stipp suggests that South Africa’s infection rate, estimated between 70% and 80%, is high by global standards and might push the country towards herd immunity. However, reinfections by the delta variant remain a concern. The South African Medical Research Council’s excess death data, mostly attributed to COVID 19, supports these findings.